Norwegian Gem Day 1 - Split Croatia

Background on Split:
It is in the centre of the Adriatic eastern coast with a very mild and sunny climate. The city is protected by UNESCO as it is now a World Cultural Heritage Site because of its unique history as the capital of Dalmatia.
The city was started by Roman emperor Diocletian who built his palace around 293 AD as it was the geographical centre of the Roman Empire. Thousands of slaves were used in the construction of the 30,000 square meter requiring incredible skill and technology. Most of which without mortar but, when mortar was required, it was made of a combination of clay, lime and chicken’s eggs – thousands upon thousands of them. The stone used is a limestone quarried about 30 miles away which is the same as used for USA’s White House, Budapest’s Parliament buildings and other significant buildings. The aqueduct bringing the water to the palace continues to be in use and was adequate until the population reached 170,000 when an additional source was built but the original was not abandoned.
The palace is still in use with approximately 300 residents living within the walls. With the exception of the temple to Jupiter which remains 100% intact, much of the interior of the palace has been changed to accommodate the needs of the people over time. The mausoleum which contained Diocletian’s body in a sarcophagus was converted about 300 years after his death into the smallest Catholic cathedral which continues to be used for services; twice/day during the week and 4 services on Sunday. In fact, we had a very short visit as the Mass was about to begin and the locals were seated and waiting for the start. The maximum capacity of this small cathedral is less than 100.
Within the palace walls, there is a Jewish ghetto (which was not considered as a negative as very rich Jews lived in the community) with a small synagogue. During the war, the Italians occupied Split from 1941 to 43 but the Jews were not discriminated against. Unfortunately, this changed when the Germans occupied from 1944-45 when a number where killed or sent to concentration camps. Many of the locals who are predominately Catholics hid Jewish people in their basements.
As with most European cities/towns, there is a small market selling everything imaginable. We were encouraged not to buy tat from the gypsies. John did buy another pair of shorts to help with the laundry situation. Washing things in a bathroom sink gives you a whole new appreciation for laundry machines.